UBC Okanagan to continue strong growth trend

KELOWNA - UBC Okanagan has doubled its student head count and tripled its floor space since starting out in 2005 but there’s no plan to slow down.

UBC Okanagan principal Deborah Buszard told Kelowna council Monday morning, Jan. 25, she would like to see another 1,000 to 2,000 seats at the campus in north Kelowna by 2020, mainly in the faculties of engineering and computer science.

“My hope is the provincial government ahead of the next election will announce it is going to put more seats in the areas that will drive the economy,” Buszard said. “I think by that time would like to see a significant increase in the number of international students possibly another 700.”

The head count is currently about 8,500 students. Buszard said the university has already increased the number of engineering seats from 600 to 1,000 using "internal transfers".

OPINION I hate to bring it up but it feels like fall outside... Maybe not completely, but that crisp, cool air is slowly creeping into the Valley, reminding us that summer is coming to a close and fall is fast on its heels.